Which explorer was first to reach the South Pole, arriving there in December 1911?

Roald Amundsen was the first explorer to reach the South Pole, arriving there on December 14, 1911.

Amundsen led a five-man Norwegian expedition that travelled from the Bay of Whales across the Ross Ice Shelf and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier. The team used dogs and skis, carefully planned supply depots, and adapted methods learned from Arctic peoples. They reached the geographic South Pole about five weeks before Robert Falcon Scott’s British team.

Amundsen originally intended to reach the North Pole, but changed plans after learning that Robert Peary and Frederick Cook had claimed to have reached it. He kept the Antarctic change secret until the expedition was underway, informing Scott by telegram from Madeira.

Scott and his companions reached the Pole on January 17, 1912, finding Amundsen’s tent and flag. Scott’s party died during the return journey, while Amundsen’s team returned safely to its base.